Compound tool for use in textile painting

ABSTRACT

A compound tool is used in connection with painting on textile sheets. It consists of a hollow body portion adapted to contain replacement tips for ball point color applying devices, a wrenchlike opening for the removal and replacement of such tips, and a spatula-like portion for the blending of the ink applied to the textile material.

United States Patent Andrews et a1.

1451 July 25,1972

[54] COMPOUND TOOL FOR USE IN TEXTILEPAINTING [72] Inventors: Francis W. Andrews, Clarcona; Philip S. Sussman, Orlando, both of F1a.; Sidney D. Barlow, Mount Vernon, NY.

[73] Assignee: Mark-Tex Corporation, Englewood, NJ.

[22] Filed: Oct. 6, 1970 [21] App1.No.: 78,485

[52] U.S.Cl. ..7/1 G [51] Int. Cl. ..B2Sf 1/00 [58] FieldofSearch ..7/1 G,l5,lC;81/121R,l22,

81/177 G, 177 M, 177 ST, 90 R, 3.1 B, 3.34, 3.4; 145/62, 61 J; 29/2l0.l, 212, 221.5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1957 Tasciotti ..s1/3.34

666,510 1/1901 Furbish ..81/177 G 2,811,631 10/1957 Wood, Jr.... ..81/121 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 788,406 1/1958 Great Britain ..7/1 C Primary Examiner-Robert C. Riordon Assistant Examiner-Roscoe V. Parker, Jr. Attorney-Eliot S. Gerber [57] ABSTRACT A compound tool is used in connection with painting on texttile sheets. It consists of a hollow body portion adapted to contain replacement tips for ball point color applying devices, a wrenchlike opening for the removal and replacement of such tips, and a spatula-like portion for the blending of the ink applied to the textile material.

7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTED JUL2 51972 FIG. 4

COMPOUND TOOL FOR USE TN TEXTILE PAINTING DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to compound tools and more particularly to a compound tool for closure applying and removing, namely, the applying and removal of a ball point tip in a marking device combined with a spreader and blender for ink painted on fabric.

At the present time a widespread hobby is the painting or decorating on a textile sheet using a marking device. For example, a lightweight cloth is stretched in a hoop assembly. The cloth is painted upon using a ball point marking device. The textile sheet may have a pattern printed on the sheet outlining the areas to be colored.

The ball point marking device comprises a tip holding, at its end, a metal ball and a coil spring loading the ball. The tip is inserted into an ink reservoir, which may be a solid or a collapsible tube. Sometimes the tip or the ball becomes damaged or clogged, for example, by being dropped or by being rubbed excessively on one side of the tip. It is desirable to be able to replace the tip; however, it is difficult to unscrew the plastic tip and screw in its replacement without using a special tool. That special tool is constructed to fit the shape of the tip.

When the user paints two colors next to each other, or on top of each other, she often desires to blend the colors together. For example, she may wish to soften or blur the line between two areas of different colors or blend two colors which are superimposed. The tool for blending the colors should not damage the textile material and should be convenient to hold in the hand.

It is an objective of the present invention to provide, at reasonable cost, a combined tool which can be used to replace the ball enclosing tip of a marker device and also be used as a blending tool.

It is a further objective of the present invention that the tip replacement portion of the combined tool remove the tip, without difficulty or slipping, and replace it with a new tip, by firmly screwing the replacement tip in position without injuring or marking it, with the resulting seal being sufficient to prevent leakage.

It is a still further objective of the present invention that the blending tool portion of the combined tool be adapted to blend or spread ink applied to textile fabric material without injuring the material, and provide a combination of a flat and a tapered rounded surface along with a point and an edge.

It is a still further objective of the present invention that: l the combined tool provide operable storage space for replacement tips; (2) be shaped so that it fits the hand, enabling the user to apply a certain pressure for blending colors and to apply leverage for the replacement of tips; and (3) be sufficiently light in weight so that the user will not tire easily when blending colors.

In accordance with the present invention a combined tool is provided. The tool has a tip replacement portion consisting of a body havijc therein a bore, with part of the bore being cylindrical in cross-section to fit the cylindrical portion of the tip and part having parallel shoulders to cooperate with the flats on the tip. The tool preferably has a central tubular hollow portion adapted to store a number of replacement tips. The central body portion may be opened by removal of a frictionfitted cap for the removal of the replacement tips. The blending tool portion of the combined tool is a projection whose cross-section has a flat bottom and a rounded top, with the projection terminating in a rounded end. Preferably the combined tool is made of suitable plastic resin so that the projection will be slightly flexible.

Other objectives of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, giving the inventors best mode of practicing the invention, the description being taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a side plan view of the top portion of a prior art ball point marker device, the combined tool of the present invention being used in conjunction with that type of marker;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the combined tool of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the projection; and

FIG. Al is a plan view along line 4l-4 of FIG. 3, taken in the direction of the arrows.

A ball point marking device is shown in FIG. l and labeled prior art." It consists of a tubular body 10 which is an ink reservoir, a top shoulder portion ll terminating in a tubular collar 12. The collar 12 has internal screw threads into which is screwed a plastic tip 13. The top of tip 13 encloses a metal ball M which is spring-loaded. Two sides l5 and 116 of the tip 13 are flats to permit the tip to be removed and replaced.

The combined tool of the present invention is shown in F IG. 2. It consists of an elongated hollow tubular body portion 20, which preferably is made using a clear or cloudy plastic resin, for example, polystyrene. The internal diameter of the body portion is large enough to permit the storage of replacement tips 21 and 22. For example, the body portion may hold six replacement tips one on top of the other. The user may see through the wall of the body portion 20 and may see how many tips are held there in storage.

The top of the body portion 20 is sealed by a removable cap 23 which has a bottom cylindrical portion 24 fitting within the tube of the body portion 20 and is retained therein by friction. An upper cylindrical portion 25 of cap 23 has fiuting and provides a grip for the cap to be removed.

The opposite end of the tubular body 20 is closed by a member 26 of plastic resin, which resin is preferably slightly flexible and not adversely affected by the ink. For example, suitable resins are nylon or polyethylene. The member 26 has a cylindrical shank portion 27 which fits firmly in the tube of body member 20.

A bore 28 is through member 26, with the axis of the bore being perpendicular to the axis through the tube of the body member 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the bore 28 has an upper portion having two fiat walls 29 and 30, which walls fit the flats on the tip. The lower portion 31 of bore 28 is cone-shaped to fit the cone portion of the tip. The ball on the tip fits through the opening 32 at the small end of the bore v2.8.

The projection portion of member 26 is a blending tool 33. Its top 34 is flat and its bottom 35 rounded so that, in crosssection, the blending tool is shaped as a half-moon or a bisected oval. The tip 36 of the projection is rounded when viewed from above.

Modifications may be made in the structure described above within the scope of the subjoined claims. For example, the compound tool may be constructed with a central tubular body portion adapted for the holding of replacement tips having a projection at one end with a cavity thereon to act as a wrench on the tips of color applying devices and having another projection at the opposite end shaped as a blending tool.

We claim:

1. A combined tool for use with color applying devices having replaceable tips, the tool comprising a body portion having a cavity therein, said cavity comprising an upper portion having flat walls adapted to engage flats on said tip and a lower tapered portion adapted to receive a tapered portion of said tip, said body portion including a tapered projection forming a blending tool, and a hollow tubular member connected to said body portion and having closure means at one of its ends, said tubular member being sufficiently large to store replacement tips within said tube, said tube also providing a gripping member for the hand.

2. A combined tool as in claim ll wherein the hollow member is closed by a removable cap having a frictional fit with said tube.

3. A combined tool for use with color applying devices having replaceable tips, the tool comprising a body portion having a cavity therein, said cavity comprising an upper portion having flat walls adapted to engage flats on said tip and a lower tapered portion adapted to receive a tapered portion of said tip, said body portion including a tapered projection forming a blending tool and also including a hollow tubular member ltionall-fit within said tube.

connected to said body portion and'closed by a removable I "61 A combined tool as in claim 3 where in the body portion is connected to said tube by a cylindrical member of said body portion frictionally fitting within said tube 7. A combined tool as in claim 1 wherein one side of said projection is flat and the other side is rounded when viewed in cross-section. 

1. A combined tool for use with color applying devices having replaceable tips, the tool comprising a body portion having a cavity therein, said cavity comprising an upper portion having flat walls adapted to engage flats on said tip and a lower tapered portion adapted to receive a tapered portion of said tip, said body portion including a tapered projection forming a blending tool, and a hollow tubular member connected to said body portion and having closure means at one of its ends, said tubular member being sufficiently large to store replacement tips within said tube, said tube also providing a gripping member for the hand.
 2. A combined tool as in claim 1 wherein the hollow member is closed by a removable cap having a frictional fit with said tube.
 3. A combined tool for use with color applying devices having replaceable tips, the tool comprising a body portion having a cavity therein, said cavity comprising an upper portion having flat walls adapted to engage flats on said tip and a lower tapered portion adapted to receive a tapered portion of said tip, said body portion including a tapered projection forming a blending tool and also including a hollow tubular member connected to said body portion and closed by a removable cap, the diameter of said tube being sufficiently large to store replacement tips within said tube, said tube also providing a gripping member for the hand.
 4. A combined tool as in claim 1 wherein said flats are parallel walls.
 5. A combined tool as in claim 3 wherein the cap has a frictional fit within said tube.
 6. A combined tool as in claim 3 where in the body portion is connected to said tube by a cylindrical member of said body portion frictionally fitting within said tube.
 7. A combined tool as in claim 1 wherein one side of said projection is flat and the other side is rounded when viewed in cross-section. 